Pro Bono: Better Late Than Never
By Susan R. Sharrock

This is not a testimonial. It is, however, a call to my gray-haired colleagues to take stock of your lives, remember back to when you first started the practice decades ago, and pass judgment on whether you are now the person you wanted to be when you reached this stage in your lives.

Oh, I know: we have earned every gray hair and wrinkle. We have worked hard, we have had some laughs, and many of us have prospered – at least economically. But what I’m really asking is, are you satisfied that you’ve lived the most meaningful and fulfilling life possible? If you have reason to question your state of affairs, consider the following:

Ten years ago, I was running myself ragged, practicing law as a named partner in one of the largest silk-stocking firms in Anchorage, Alaska. I was proud of what I was doing. I felt the thrill of achievement. My family benefited from my income. But I knew something was missing. A brief, but intense bout with breast cancer brought the deficiencies in my life into sharp focus. That little voice screamed for attention: I needed to make some changes – drastic ones.

So, I withdrew from the law firm, and my husband (now of almost 40 years) and I moved to Oklahoma to reconnect with each other and family and life on the family farm. We spent a few years happily building a small ranch in the country, literally from the ground-level up. But as I was being rejuvenated by time and Mother Nature, I also began rediscovering my commitment to the values that had led me into the practice of law in the first place — my innate sense of justice and my love of using my abilities to affect justice for others.

Reaching out to find a niche for myself in the Oklahoma legal community, I have discovered one of the most wonderful opportunities of my lifetime: offering my life’s and professional experience as a senior (essentially pro bono) attorney to those in need – providing access to justice, directly and indirectly, to those who might not otherwise have meaningful access. I am currently devoting myself part-time to Legal Aid, learning from scratch the intricacies of poverty law and coming to understand the wrenching difficulties faced by clients whose lifestyles are very different from that to which I had been accustomed. As well, I have the privilege of mentoring bright, young, enthusiastic – but brand new—attorneys in the private practice who are committed as well to serving the ends of justice. Both of these experiences have brought new meaning and appreciation into my life that have enriched my family and me far more than monetary considerations ever could. And am I having fun!

As I have grown and benefited from my legal work in the past few years, I have also become well aware of the great need in our community for experienced, senior attorneys who are in a position and willing to give back without regard for monetary reward. We senior attorneys have an important role to play in our legal profession — as pro bono attorneys and as mentors. Indeed, if you remember the obligations you undertook upon being sworn in, we have a duty to play such roles.

My research indicates that many other states (Oklahoma is a little behind the curve in this regard) have established senior attorney programs within their bar associations that were developed to create the nexus between the poor clients in need of legal services and the senior attorneys who were in a position to provide those legal services pro bono. Many of the programs are supported by the bar association and individual members of the private and public bars through funding expenses, offering the use of idle conference rooms and offices, and providing copying, clerical and other legal assistant services.

Want a new challenge?

Want to truly contribute in this life? Want to “stay young” in the process? The need is truly there. We have only to stand up and be counted in order to reap the personal and societal benefits of fulfilling this need.

Join me in collaborating to establish the Oklahoma Senior Attorneys Team by e-mailing me at srsharrock @direcway.com or phoning me at (918) 367-5630. Your efforts will be rewarding.